NBA – Related Press Releases

The March 3 edition of NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC presented by YouTube TV – the Houston Rockets defeated the Boston Celtics in a thriller – drew 3,193,000 viewers, up 91 percent from last year’s comparable broadcast between the Chicago Bulls and LA Clippers (1,673,000 viewers), according to Nielsen. The March 3 broadcast peaked with nearly five million viewers (4,990,000) at 11 p.m. ET.

ESPN today announced that it will be televising two FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifier games in February showcasing the USA Basketball men’s national team. USA is in Group C of the Americas Qualifiers along with teams from Cuba, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Sunday’s showdown between NBA Eastern Conference heavyweights, in which the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James defeated the Boston Celtics and Kyrie Irving 121-99, helped ABC draw its most-watched NBA Sunday Showcase presented by the United States Marine Corps broadcast in five years (since Feb. 10, 2013), according to Nielsen.

ESPN and the NBA today announced the celebrity coaches and rosters for the 2018 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by Ruffles, which takes place on Friday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. ET, exclusively on ESPN and the ESPN App. The game will emanate from the Verizon Up Arena at the Los Angeles Convention Center and is part of NBA All-Star 2018.

ESPN today announced an update to its 2017-18 NBA regular-season schedule. On Friday, Feb. 9, the Detroit Pistons and recently acquired star Blake Griffin will host Griffin’s former team, the LA Clippers. The telecast will begin at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN App.

The Jan. 27 edition of NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC – the Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in a 109-105 thriller – generated 4,678,000 viewers, up 44 percent from 3,259,000 viewers for last season’s comparable game (Warriors-Clippers).

The third season of NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC presented by YouTube TV launches Jan. 20 with two blockbuster games, including a special matinee broadcast. First, the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James will host the Oklahoma City Thunder and Russell Westbrook in an NBA Saturday Primetime Special on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET. Mark Jones, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and analyst Hubie Brown, and reporter Israel Gutierrez will provide commentary.

ESPN’s telecast of the Boston Celtics victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday delivered a 2.4 metered market rating, according to Nielsen. It matches two Christmas telecasts as the highest-rated NBA regular season game on ESPN in nearly two years.

ESPN and ABC’s NBA Christmas coverage averaged a 3.9 metered market rating across its four games, up 39 percent compared to a 2.8 for its five-game schedule last year, based on metered market ratings from Nielsen.